Learn to Trust
by Robinbird79
Summary: When a lone Mandalorian and a former Jedi cross paths they have to learn to trust again in order to keep The Child safe as they hunt for his home world.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So this idea came to me after watching the season finale of The Mandalorian. I have had zero intention of writing a fic based on the show but ... this popped into my head and Would Not Leave Me Alone. So ... here it is. I don't know what this will become or how long it will be (especially since we have to wait until next fall for Season 2 and more answers) but I plan on having some fun with it anyway. Let me know what you think. :)**

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Someone was coming.

She wasn't sure who exactly but … someone.

It was refreshing to be able to feel things in the Force again. For so many years she'd missed its comforting touch. That was how she'd known it was over, that Sidious (or Palpatine as most knew him) was gone. Like a black veil had been lifted, letting in sunlight after a long darkness, the touch and murmur of the Force had suddenly returned. The Dark Side was not completely gone – no, it would never be _gone_ as the Light and the Dark made up the Force – but its influence was gone. How it had all happened she still wasn't clear on, news was hard to come by this far out from the Core, but she could feel the change. If she was completely honest she didn't really care _how_ it all ended, she was just glad it _had_ ended. There was a small feeling that all the fallen Jedi, her family, had finally been avenged. Nothing could bring them back or restore the Order but perhaps those that had survived would now be able to live in peace.

Peace and not having to constantly look over her shoulder would be welcome.

No one sought her out here and the only time she interacted with others was when she made the two day trek into the closest farming village for supplies. The citizens there were accustomed to her by now and didn't ask any questions. Now, however, some one was coming. He – yes, it was a he, that much she could sense – wasn't looking for her specifically but their paths would cross and he had something with him … something …

Her concentration faltered a bit and she opened her eyes.

Surely she was mistaken.

Still, she would be ready for his arrival. The Force had whispered some time ago that her time of isolation was coming to an end and perhaps this approaching person had something to do with it.

A week, maybe two later, the moment had come.

She could sense him before she ever saw the ship dropping from the sky and quickly made her way down the path to wait. Hopefully it would give her a chance to observe him before making her presence known. Her eyes widened a bit as the ship – a Republic era one if she wasn't mistaken – landed in the open field between the forest and her mountains. Whoever this was hadn't been a part of the Empire which was a plus in her mind. Remaining hidden between the boulders that lined the path to her home she watched as the ramp lowered and a figure strode out, seemingly at ease but she could easily feel how tense and on alert he was. If the ship was something unexpected what she was now looking at was even more so. She watched him calmly but cautiously. He was a Mandalorian which was interesting. She had thought they were all dead, either in their continuous clan wars or by the Empire… then again most thought all the Jedi had been killed as well. She wasn't sensing any hostility from him but she still wanted to be careful. Deciding she had observed him long enough she slowly stepped from her hiding spot.

"This is an odd place for a Manalorian to end up."

He spun around, blaster pointed in her direction, but she didn't flinch. That was to be expected. No doubt he had thought he was alone. There was a moment of tense silence as he no doubt sized her up just as she had done to him.

"I am looking for someone."

"Seems you have found someone." She knew under his helmet he rolled his eyes and couldn't keep a grin off her face. "Perhaps with a little more information I can help you in your search."

"How do I know I can trust you?" His blaster was still pointed at her.

"I could say the same. I have lived out here, safe and hidden from the Empire for more than half my life. It's rare to see off-worlders."

"Why would you need to hide from the Empire? Did you comment some crime?"

"They made my life a crime but there was a time when we were the protectors of peace and justice."

His confusion was easily felt but at last the blaster was lowered though he didn't put it back in its holster.

"I was told to find … sorcerers that were our enemy in order to return the Child to them."

There was a subtle nudge from the Force.

"The Jedi. You seek the Jedi."

The slight jerk of his shoulders conveyed his surprise.

"Jedi? I remember rumors of the Jedi when I was very young. There has been no mention of them for a decade at least. Where are they now?"

"Gone. Massacred by the Emperor when he took control of the Republic."

"Then I've wasted my time. Why would I be sent to find them if they're all dead?" Even through the voice modulated helmet his frustration was clear.

She raised an eyebrow. "I thought all the Mandalorians were dead, too." Crossing her arms on her chest she gave him a hard stare. "Why do you need the Jedi? You mentioned a Child?"

"Yes. An … associate of mine said if I can't find his own species then the sorcerers – or Jedi – would be able to take him and care for him."

"What - " Her words froze as the Force shifted around her. Peering around the Mandalorian she sucked in a breath and for a moment it seemed like everything around her had disappeared. "Master Yoda?" she whispered. That couldn't be possible; she had felt when the Jedi Master had become one with the Force several years earlier.

"Are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I think I have."

Blinking again she took a few steps towards his ship and the creature that had appeared at the top of the ramp. She couldn't believe her eyes. It just wasn't possible …

"Where … how did you come to travel with this child?"

"I rescued him from Arvala-7. He was being held in a military facility there."

"For what purpose?"

"That I do not know. He is being hunted by the leader of an Imperial Remnant. I was hoping to be able to return him to his own kind … or these Jedi as he can … do things I can't explain."

She squatted down and held a hand out to the Child. It walked to her with no hesitation. Once it was directly in front of her she couldn't hold back a few tears.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

Nodding she gathered the Child into her arms and he nestled in close. "Come. We have much to discuss."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Wow. I really have been surprised by the number of y'all that have clicked follow. Thank you! Never thought there would be quite this much interested in this "thing" that popped into my head. So on we go. Please remember I really have no idea how long this will end up being; I'm just going as the ideas come to me. It'll be a several chapters at least I think. Enjoy!**

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He tensed when she picked up The Child but the kid willingly grabbed a hold of her neck so he kept silent though he remained close to her side. There was something different about her that he couldn't quite explain. The way she had just appeared out of nowhere with no warning had put his nerves on high alert but she'd made no movement towards him or any type of weapon even with his blaster in her face. There was a … calmness around her that was … calming but also slightly unnerving. Just the way she looked at him felt like she could see _him_ and what he was thinking.

"I can to some extent, Din Djarin, though I have always made a point not to pry into the thoughts of others … when I've encountered any."

He reached towards his blaster again.

"How do you know my name?"

She glanced over her shoulder, disentangling the child's grip on her hair.

"The Force opens up many abilities to those willing to listen. Come. This little guy is hungry and you have many questions. My home is much more suited for both."

He frowned at the ambiguity in her words but really had no choice but to follow. They made their way up a narrow dirt path, winding through boulders that towered over his head. When it seemed like they were about to come to a dead end at the face of the mountain they stepped into a clearing with a decent sized hut on the left, a rather sickly looking tree throwing a slight amount of shade on its roof, a fire pit near by, and what looked like steps carved into the rock on the right. She sat The Child on one of the logs by the fire and disappeared through one of the doors in the hut, reemerging a few moments later with a couple of bowls. Giving one to the kid she held the other out to him.

"If what I remember about the customs of Mandalorians is accurate you are welcome to step into my home to remove your helmet and eat."

"I'm not hungry."

She shrugged and motioned for him to have a seat, sitting the bowl down next to him once he did so. They sat in silence for several minutes and he knew she was sizing him up just as he was doing to her. At least his eyes were hidden behind his visor. The woman across from him didn't appear to be a bounty hunter but he knew how deceiving looks could be. Her clothes, some kind of long gray vest over dark red tunic, black boots, black belt that criss-crossed at her waist, black arm wraps, were all quite worn with a few visible mended spots. It all certainly spoke to her being isolated from civilization for some time. Where she lived showed signs of having been there for quite some time as well. She wasn't tense or constantly on alert for danger like typical bounty hunters. His gut told him she was safe or at least not a threat to the kid and that was all that mattered. When it seemed like he would have to continue their conversation he sighed. He hadn't known her long but she was frustratingly stubborn.

"Who are you?"

"Alés Shann," was the response with no hesitation.

"But who are you Alés Shann?"

"I'm nobody. I've sadly been without place or purpose since I was eight years old."

That was a curious statement to make but he didn't have time to dwell on it; he needed information and it seemed she might be the one that had it.

"This massacre you spoke of: if the Jedi were sorcerers how were they not able to use their magic to survive?"

She gave him a smile that bordered on condescending.

"Despite all the weapons and tricks you carry if you were to suddenly be surrounded and heavily outnumbered what would happen?"

He conceded the point with a slight nod of the head, the memory of being pinned down by troops on Nevarro before the other Mandos had intervened still fresh in his mind.

"The Jedi were unknowingly manipulated into leadership during the Clone Wars, in charge of battalions of clone troopers in many cases. Somehow the Emperor issued an order to every trooper, all across the galaxy simultaneously, and they turned on their Jedi leaders. The Dark Side then reigned supreme until five years ago."

"How do you know all this? Of these Jedi?"

"Because I was one."

"You survived this purge by the Emperor?"

"I grew up in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant but I was born on Naboo. A visiting Jedi discovered my Force sensitivity when I was a baby and my parents allowed me to be taken and trained. I was only eight when my whole life came crashing down around me and the only family I'd ever known was destroyed in one stroke. My Master and I were able to escape the Temple when the troopers and … _he_ came -"

"He?"

"Master Skywalker. He was one of the most gifted Jedi in the Order, some said the greatest, though now that I've had time to learn and grow I think Master Kenobi, his former Master, was the greatest of the Jedi."

"Why?" Despite himself he found himself somewhat intrigued by her story. He'd almost forgotten there had even been rumors about the existence of Jedi.

"Anakin Skywalker was strong in the Force, skilled with his lightsaber and powerful in battle; he was called 'the hero without fear.' All the Initiates in the Temple, we all watched stories about him on the Holonet. Master Kenobi, though not as flamboyant as his former apprentice, was a master in lightsaber combat and had a command of the Force unrivaled by anyone except Master Yoda." Her eyes flicked to The Child, her expression falling. "I do not know what happened except Master Skywalker fell to the Dark Side and slaughtered the Jedi in the Temple … even the children. After evading the clone troopers we found passage on a freighter to the Outer Rim. We moved from planet to planet for a few years before settling here. Master Basri continued my training until his death ten years ago."

The kid had sat quietly by his side, drinking its broth, as she'd talked though when she came to the slaughter of the Jedi its attention had shifted to her.

"Why were you so surprised to see him?" he asked, nodding his head towards the Child.

"He looks exactly like Master Yoda, the Grand Master of the Jedi Order."

"How can you be sure this isn't who you think it is?"

"Because Master Yoda was nine hundred years old when he was supervising my lessons as a Youngling and … I felt him become one with the Force five years ago, right before I felt the lifting of the veil of darkness."

"Nine hundred years old?" Alés nodded and he stared down at the kid. "He is only fifty."

"Just a baby."

"If you knew this Master Yoda then you know where I can take him."

She shook her head. "I have no idea where his people live – if any of them are even left. I'm not even sure who his people are; Master Yoda was one of two I ever saw of their kind … until now."

Annoyance grew in him again. He had found one of the sorcerers but it seemed like she would be unable to help him. This had been valuable time lost. The longer it took him to find the kid's home the longer he would be in danger.

"Perhaps you are not supposed to find his people. Perhaps you are the best one to keep him safe."

"I doubt that. My way of life is not … safe for a kid."

"Yes, I can see how bounty hunting would not be the best environment for a child to grow and learn in."

Again he stared at her in surprise. First she knew his name and now that he was – or had been – a bounty hunter?

"How do you know these things about me?"

"The Force. It is an energy field created by all living things, a tension, a balance that binds the galaxy together. Jedi are trained from the start to feel the Force around them, in them, and to listen to it." She took a sip from a cup before turning her attention to the kid. "You didn't come all the way out here for a lesson in the Force but in a desire to help this child. Why is he in danger?"

"Moff Gideon, part of the Imperial Remnant, put a bounty on his head. Why I do not know. When I accepted the job I only knew the target was fifty years old and being held on Arvala-7. I never expected to find a … baby."

"But you chose not to take him in."

"Not initially though I was reluctant. I ended up going back for him, finding him being tested by some doctor. We have been on the move ever since as numerous bounty hunters were given the job. I was told by another Mandalorian to find the Jedi since he can do things."

"Things?"

"Yes. He … lifted a mudhorn into the air without touching it, stopped fire, and healed someone's wounds."

Alés was quiet as she stared into the fire.

"Hearing that there are some still clinging to the Empire's ways is a bit distressing. What they might want with a Force sensitive child is even more so."

"Force sensitive? Are you saying he's … one of you?"

"Not all Force sensitives are Jedi though if he is as old as you say he is then it is entirely possible that he had some training before the Order fell."

He sighed. "What do you suggest I do?"

"Give me some time to think and meditate on this. Perhaps the Force will show me something so I can at least point you in the right direction." She stood and headed for the stairs cut into the rock. "Feel free to eat while I'm gone. There is more inside if either of you need it."

Waiting until several minutes had passed since the sound of her quiet footsteps disappeared he finally felt like it was safe to take her up on her offer and eat. Supplies had been running a bit low on the _Crest_ anyway. The kid curled up next to his side and seemed to be drifting off to sleep. As darkness descended on them he glanced up towards the top of the mountain, the only place he could imagine those steps leading to, and wondered if this strange woman, this … relic of some lost religion or whatever would be able to help him.

.

Alés stared up at the stars.

She had not meditated long before the Force began prodding her. What it told her was not exactly welcome and she had remained on the mountain top for some time thinking about the task that seemed to have been set before her. But if she ignored this it could have some wide reaching consequences.

"Wonder if I had disappeared?" she asked quietly.

"Quite some time had passed since you came up here." His footsteps inched closer. "Did you … learn anything?"

"Yes."

"You don't sound like it was good news."

With a sigh she stood up and faced him.

"Though a Jedi can hear the will of the Force, if we open ourselves to it, choosing to actually listen is entirely up to us. Some times … some times we really don't like what we hear."

"So you don't know where his people are?"

"No, I'm afraid not." She held up a hand when she felt the surge of irritation flare in him. "However, there is some place where we might be able to find that information … if it wasn't completely destroyed by the Emperor."

"And where is that?"

"The Jedi Temple on Coruscant."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews and the follow clicks. I'm still really surprised at the attention this has gotten. Please remember that I really have no idea where I'm going with this; it just popped into my head and has not let go so far. I hope you enjoy and let me know what you think.**

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Alés let her eyes roam over the familiar clearing one last time. This had been home longer than anywhere else. It hadn't been easy but she and Master Basri had created a life here and it hadn't been bad. Now she would be returning to a place she'd left a lifetime ago and there was no way of knowing what condition it was in after being abandoned almost thirty years. She wasn't sure how she felt about that. Could she really walk back into a place she'd loved but that had become the site of a massacre? Could she walk through the halls and not see the bodies of her family on the ground? Would she still be able to feel their presence around her? And if there were Imperial remnants around was it safe for former Jedi to reveal themselves?

Hefting her pack with a sigh she turned and headed down the path. She had no choice. The Force had pointed her where to go. Perhaps she would return here and perhaps not. It was foolish to be attached to a place. She would always have her memories and she had packed her few belongings along with Master Basri's lightsaber.

The Mando was waiting for her outside his ship, impatient to be gone. He didn't speak, barely letting her get on board before closing the ramp behind her, then hurried up a ladder into the cockpit of the ship. Stowing her bag against a wall she followed. Poking her head up the ladder she saw the Child was already sitting in some kind of contraption in one of the passenger seats and she eased herself down into the empty one. After flicking several switches and pressing different buttons the ship lifted from the ground. Alés kept her eyes focused on the windows somewhat anxious for that first glimpse of space … and a small smile crossed her lips when they broke the atmosphere. It had been so long since she'd been amongst the stars.

A slight jolt and the windows were filled with the long white lines of hyperspace.

She gripped at the sides of her seat as the ship made the jump to light speed. The Child next to her gurgled in what sounded like amusement.

"Don't like flying?"

"It never bothered me before but I haven't been off the planet in probably thirty years. I'm sure I'll get used to it again."

He glanced over his shoulder. "Your face isn't green yet so you should be fine."

Alés grinned at the back of his head, glad to see the Mando had a sense of humor under all that beskar. "Well, if I did get sick you'd be the first to know."

"Get sick in my ship and you're cleaning it up."

The Child giggled again before sliding down from his seat and climbing up in the Mando's lap. To her surprise he gave the little guy the round knob off the top of one of the control handles. Though she had always tried not to form judgments based on appearance it was hard to get a sense of personality behind a helmet so to see that touch of affection was telling.

"Did you travel much when you were a child?"

"No. Once you were brought to the Temple you most likely didn't leave it again until it was time to travel to Ilum to find your kyber crystal and become an apprentice. After that, if you passed your Initiate Trials and were chosen as a padawan, you could spend quite a lot of time off the planet. It all depended on your Master and what missions you were given."

"What is a kyber crystal?"

"The heart of a Jedi's lightsaber."

He paused a second. "Do you have a lightsaber?"

"I do."

"I haven't seen you with it."

"I don't think I've held it or turned it on in over ten years."

"Why not?"

"There has been no need."

"What were the Jedi?"

"They were the guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy."

"If they could use this Force to know things then how were they unable to see their destruction?"

She sighed. "That is a question Master Basri and I asked ourselves countless times. The only thing that made any sense is that the Dark Side clouded the vision of the Jedi, made it harder for us to see and feel the Force."

"As if a veil had been placed over your eyes."

"Yes, exactly."

They sat in comfortable silence for a while before he spoke up again.

"Was your life hard once you left Coruscant?"

Alés was a bit surprised to hear such a question from him though it further confirmed her growing conviction that there was a decent man under the helmet.

"The first few years were certainly stressful. Knowing you're being hunted is not a pleasant sensation. As time passed and we saw how isolated we were that stress began to lessen though it never vanished completely." She thought back on their years in hiding. "It certainly wasn't the life I had expected when I was little but we survived. I can't say it was exactly easy but I think, perhaps, the circumstances helped in my training so I can't complain."

There was another break in the conversation. By now The Child was nodding off and the Mando placed him back in his little seat. She was again pleasantly surprised by how careful he was with him.

"So what about you?"

"What about me?"

"Don't be obtuse. I just gave you my life's story. I am naturally curious about you as well."

He was silent so long she figured that was his way of answering her question. While a bit disappointing it wasn't totally unexpected. Most would be leery of opening themselves up to a stranger.

"My parents were killed in a Seperatist raid when I was a child. The Mandalorians found me, took me in, and raised me."

"And the bounty hunting?"

"The Empire almost wiped out the Mandalorians. I did what I could to survive."

"You retained the honor they instilled in you despite everything."

A pause. "Why do you say that?"

"I can sense it in you, see it in the way you are with The Child. It is not something to be ashamed of, Din."

He fell silent after that and she pondered what was now before her.

She had hid from the Empire for so long that it was hard to think about returning to Coruscant without a bit of nervousness. If what the Mando had said was true and there were remnants floating around it was entirely possible they would still be following Palpatine's orders on killing Jedi. Granted she wasn't wearing a sign that proclaimed she was one but it still made her a bit anxious. And how would she feel to once again be in the halls where she saw her clan mates, padawans, masters all fall to blaster … or lightsaber? Master Basri had, of course, taught her how to keep her emotions under control but she'd never been in a situation like the one she was now headed to. She hoped her training would hold.

"If you'd like to rest there is a bunk down there," he said, his words breaking into her thoughts. "There's some food as well if you're hungry."

"How long will it be until we get to Coruscant?"

"Quite a while. I can't risk going straight there so we'll be changing hyperspace lanes several times, jumping around to avoid being followed."

"Then I will take you up on your offer. Perhaps we'll be lucky and this will be a quiet, easy trip."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thanks again for the reviews and follows. Those notifciations make my day. So on we go. Please remember I'm just having some fun with this as we have no idea what is in store for us in Season 2 (do we really have to wait until October?). Hope you enjoy!**

**.**

**Aka: Thanks!**

**Random: Thank you! Glad you're enjoying it.**

**Paris: Just what kind of angst would you want me to put the man through? :)**

**Redhouse: Yup, a Jedi and a Mando. Thanks!**

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Luck was not in their favor.

Another bounty hunter found them when they dropped out of light speed to make an adjustment to their course.

"How did they find us?" she asked, ungracefully landing in her seat as the first shots ricocheted off the side of the ship. "They couldn't have tracked us through hyperspace." Din reached over and flipped the switch to activate the ship's shields.

"A lucky chance. They must have been close enough when we dropped out of light speed for a tracking fob to activate."

Another flurry of blaster fire hit them and Alés snapped her mouth closed, sitting back in her seat to allow him to concentrate. The Child hopped up in her lap though he didn't appear to be fazed by how the ship was rocking back and forth. A hard hit on their left side caused a small gasp to slip through her lips. Several lights began flashing on the control panels.

"Don't worry. The _Crest_ can take it."

"Are you sure?"

"She hasn't let me down yet."

"That isn't very reassuring."

There was a mutter of something from inside his helmet but she couldn't make out what he said and decided she really didn't need to know anyway. Flipping a few switches stopped the alarm lights flashing and he jerked the controls hard to the right. She centered herself so the shaking of the ship didn't shake her nerves. A nudge from the Force pulled her focus from her bubbling fear.

"He's going to come around from the left. You'll be able to get a couple shots on him before he moves out of range again. It may be our only chance."

"How do you know that?" Din asked with a quick glance over his shoulder.

Alés just raised an eyebrow. She could almost see the frown that surely was on his face at her response but he activated his cannons anyway.

Another couple of hard hits on their left side and then the ship appeared just as she'd said it would. Two quickly fired shots hit their attacker dead center and the resulting explosion filled the sky in front of them. As she let out the breath she hadn't known she was holding another, much more prominent, light began flashing.

"Put the Child down and come here," he ordered. She did as she was told and he was already on his feet when she turned towards him.

"Take the controls." He pressed her down into the pilot's chair and slid down the ladder. She kept a weary eye on the screens in front of her, hoping another ship didn't pop up as she wasn't sure what to do if they were being shot at. More buttons began flashing in front of her a moment later.

"Din! There's a lot of things flashing red at me!"

He didn't answer and the lights stopped blinking almost as quickly as they'd started.

"We'll have to land and get repairs. The hyperdrive won't last long," he said as he came back up the ladder.

"Where?"

He scanned the navigation computer quickly. "Eriadu. We should be able to find what we need in the spaceport in Phelar."

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After landing in one of the docking bays Din was able to find someone rather quickly that said they could fix the hyperdrive in the time frame he requested though it would, of course, cost extra. A promise of extra credits if the work was done in even less time caused the mechanic's eyes to light up and his steps to quicken. Apparently satisfied with the arrangements the Mando returned to where she was waiting just inside the loading ramp.

"We should be underway before morning."

"Are you okay with that?"

"Looks like I will have to be." He gave the inside of the ship a quick glance. "The _Crest_ is running low on supplies."

"Then you should go get them. I will stay here with the Child and keep an eye on the repairs. I would be of no help in town." His visor swiveled towards the little guy. "Do not worry. You won't be gone long and nothing will happen to him while I'm here."

"How can you be sure of that?"

"Because I won't let it. Besides, how safe would he be if you carried him with you into town? Most will not give a lone Mandalorian a second look."

She could sense his uncertainty. Seeming to make a decision he pressed a button opening a compartment filled with weapons. Picking a small blaster out he handed it to her along with a comlink. "I won't be gone long. If anything happens call me."

Once he had left she watched the mechanic and his two droids for a few minutes then retreated to the interior of the _Crest_. It would take some time for her to grow accustomed to being around others again. Despite her early years her life had been quite isolated. Now she had to learn all that again while being in close company with a stranger she'd only met a few days earlier. She wasn't uncomfortable around the Child; his presence was … familiar. Din on the other hand … Force user she might be but it was still difficult to get to know someone that was obviously resolute in his notion of privacy. He had shown some hints of humanity and humor and she was surprised to find she was quite curious to discover more. It would be hard to _not_ be curious about someone who never shows his face.

A short gurgle near her feet pulled her from her thoughts and she smiled down at the Child. He was sitting on a short box playing with some netting he'd found from someplace and appeared to be watching her closely. She wondered just how knowledgable he was about the Force. From what Din had mentioned he was certainly aware of it and had used it. Where had he learned to do that? Deciding now was as good a time as any to try to investigate she seated herself cross-legged in front of the Child. Alés didn't know where he came from or where he'd been all this time – she certainly didn't remember seeing him at the Temple but that didn't really mean he _hadn't_ been there – but that he was Force sensitive was clear. Perhaps it was something that ran in the species though until now she'd only known Master Yoda and known of Master Yaddle.

"Let's see if I can figure out where you come from, little one, and what you might know," she said softly. He just tilted his head as he looked at her. Closing her eyes and taking several deep breaths she began stretching out with the Force, hoping that some answers would be forthcoming. She was quickly able to feel his Force signature, very strong and bright, but no matter how much she tried to reach beyond that she was unable to see anything further. It was as if there was a wall blocking the information she sought. All she was being allowed to know was that he was strong in the Force and … a hint at some purpose in his future. That was a bit odd. In all her lessons and mediations she'd never come across something that suggested the Force would hide things … though she supposed it wasn't outside the realm of possibility. If anything could conceal that which it didn't want found it would be the Force. Why it would do such a thing was a question she knew she would not find an answer for easily if at all.

She patted him on the head. "I guess your secrets will remain just that for a while longer." He just cooed at her.

.

Alés knew someone was coming and this time it wasn't someone she'd want to know. Scooping the sleeping Child up she stashed him in a small storage space against the hull of the ship and closed its sliding door, effectively locking him into a safe room. Then, making sure the safety was off on the blaster, she made her way down the open ramp. The mechanic and droids had ceased their work and were eying an Aqualish that was cautiously approaching the ship.

"Stop right there, girl." With a raised eyebrow she came to a halt. "Hand it over."

"Hand what over?"

"The bounty you have. There's so many looking for it and I'm the lucky one that found you first. Now, hand it over."

"Do I look like a bounty hunter to you?"

The question seemed to surprise him. "No."

"Then why do you think I would have a bounty on my ship?"

"The fob says its here. Now we can do this the nice and easy way where you just hand it over or I can just shoot you and take it anyway. It's your choice." He raised his blaster but she refrained from reacting though she could hear the workers on the other side of the ship scrambling for cover. Wondering why they would suddenly be afraid she realized someone else had joined them. Spotting Din in the shadows she knew there wasn't much time to defuse the situation. It wouldn't take long for him to start shooting. The last thing they needed was to draw attention to themselves.

"What you seek is not here." The Aqualish eyed her speculatively. "Your bounty is on Ord Janon," she said quickly, picking a planet as far from their destination as possible and hoping her memory of the star charts she'd studied was still correct.

He didn't move.

"The tracker - "

A nonchalant move of her hand as she met his eyes. "Your prey is on Ord Janon. You will give me the tracker, leave here, and forget you ever saw or spoke to anyone."

"I'll leave here since I didn't see or speak to anyone." He held out the tracking fob which she took quickly. Alés held her breath until he had disappeared through the far doorway then dropped the fob into the dirt and slammed her heel down onto it.

"What was that?"

She gave the Mando a grin. "The Force has a strong influence on the weak minded. I suggest we conclude our business, however, and be one our way before we have any more visitors."

"You're … you're a Jedi," the mechanic said in a slightly awed voice coming to their side. All she did was nod. "My grandfather used to tell us stories about the Jedi, about what they could do, how they tried to keep the galaxy safe. I had always hoped to meet one. Then one day my father said they were all gone."

"I am glad to know there are some that remember the Jedi fondly."

He smiled. "And I am glad to know there are still some Jedi in the galaxy." He looked at the Mando. "The ship is ready just as you asked and ahead of time."

"A deal is a deal." The credits were exchanged and after quickly checking the work that was done Din had them in the air speeding from the planet. After making sure the Child was still asleep she joined him in the cockpit. The jump to hyperspace was made as soon as she'd sat down and this time it didn't make her stomach feel strange.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Keeping your word. Keeping him safe."

"When I give my word I keep it."

He didn't answer but she didn't really need one. The same thing plagued him as it did her: trust. Because of his path in life he couldn't trust anyone. Because of what she'd been forced to hide from she couldn't fully trust anyone either. Even with her Force abilities knowing whether to trust another could be hard. She had taken a big step in leaving her planet with him. He'd just taken one by leaving her to protect the Child on Eriadu. Maybe that was part of the reason the Force brought them together. Maybe together they would be able to learn to trust again.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hello and thank you to the new followers. I'm sorry this chapter took some time. It was giving me a lot of trouble as I wasn't liking anything I was putting down. Now that I'm stuck at home for goodness knows how long I was able to spend more time on it and finally had something I liked. I hope you enjoy as well and as always let me know what you think. I hope everyone is well under the circumstances.**

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**Guest: I hope you are still with me! Here's more!**

**TOWG: So glad to have you aboard and I'm glad you're enjoying it! Your questions will be answered as we move along. :)**

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Alés absently scrolled through the chart of the galaxy as she watched The Child messing with one of the boxes in the hold of the ship. The glow from the datapad's screen finally drew his attention and he toddled over to investigate.

"These are all the known planets in the galaxy," she explained, swiping through the pages more slowly. He paused and stared at the screen. An idea came to her and she looked down at him. "Do any of these seem familiar to you?"

He just tried to pull it towards his mouth then gave a big yawn. With a chuckle she sat it aside and picked him up. "Play time is over."

After settling him in his little alcove she sat cross legged in the middle of the main hold and closing her eyes she tried to clear her mind. The incident on Eriadu had been a clear warning that they were being hunted. It was eerily familiar to how she had felt all those years ago after they had fled the Temple. True, she wasn't the one being actively tracked but she'd thrown herself willingly into this so she had at least something at stake now. And how could she know if any of these bounty hunters would turn her over to any remaining Imperials? She still felt the Force wanted them to go to Coruscant but Alés hoped she might be able to come up with something else to try before that. Just because she was being pushed in that direction didn't mean things would go easily once they got there. It certainly couldn't hurt to have options.

She became aware of Din's presence several minutes later. He was watching her but it wasn't discomforting. There had been times she'd sat and observed him as well. It was only natural when you were learning to not only be around someone but to trust them as well. Pushing those thoughts aside she focused on reaching out beyond the confines of the ship, hoping that her meandering would prove fruitful in discovering somewhere else they could go to find the answers Din was seeking. She could feel The Child's distinct Force signature, it shone brightly, but there was nothing else. In fact it almost felt like her attention was being directed back into the ship though she wasn't sure why. There were no answers to their questions on the _Crest_. After several minutes she pulled herself from her meditation though she remained seated with her eyes closed a while longer.

"Why did you become a bounty hunter?" she finally asked.

"It was a way to get by," he replied after a long pause.

"Are all Mandalorians bounty hunters?"

"There's not many of us left but no."

"Do you enjoy it?"

"Not particularly but the pay can be good."

"If you had other options would you take them?"

"I don't know if I would be safe enough to remain in one place long enough to try anything else." He shifted his feet. "I doubt I'm suited for much else."

Alés opened her eyes, her gaze landing on him directly in front of her. "You are a good man, Din, and you can move beyond where you are now. It will just take some time and work."

There was what sounded a bit like an amused snort from under his helmet.

"You have more faith in me than I do in myself."

"Most would have turned the Child in, taken the payment, and moved on. You didn't. I think that speaks volumes about your character."

"Are you trying to get inside my head?"

She chuckled. "No. I told you when we first met that I make a point of not prying into the minds of others however your actions tell me quite a bit. The Force moves around you protectively."

"Why?"

"Perhaps because of what you're doing for him," she said, nodding her head in the direction of where the Child was sleeping. "Perhaps there is more in store for you, a different destiny that the one you expect and it is trying to protect you. I do not know."

He crossed his arms on his chest, seeming to contemplate her for a bit. Eventually he moved over to the side of the hold, punching a button that opened up a wall, and began to fiddle with some of the numerous weapons concealed there. She could tell what she'd told him had put him a little off balance, as if he was struggling internally with something.

"I don't know why I would be chosen for anything in particular. I was a Foundling, the Mandalorians took me in and raised me. After the Empire's Purge we went into hiding, many of us finding whatever means necessary to keep our people alive."

She tilted her head a bit to the side as she listened to what he was revealing about his past. "What did you do with the payment you got for taking the Child in?"

"Gave it to the tribe to support other Foundlings."

"So you risked your life and apparently your reputation and standing to go back for him without keeping the payment for yourself." She raised an eyebrow a she waited for his response.

"It was the right thing to do but I fail to see how that has anything to do with my future … known or otherwise."

"While we are able to hear the will of the Force after many years of training there are always going to be some things that remain hidden from us. However there is no way to hide from your destiny no matter how much you try. Eventually, you will have to face whatever it is that is in store for you."

"Were all the Jedi so ambiguous or is that just one of your more endearing traits?" She could almost see his hidden frown and she chuckled.

"Oh I have many endearing traits, Mando. You just haven't had the luck to see them all yet."

She finally rose and began digging around in their food stores, feeling his eyes on her the entire time.

"What is it like? The Force?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you hear a voice or physically feel something?"

"It is hard to explain. I am always aware of its presence around me. Sometimes it feels like … water flowing through me like a river. It makes us aware of everything around us and even far beyond our physical state. That is how I knew you were coming; I could sense your approach in the Force days before you arrived. And no, it doesn't speak in a voice. It's more like feeling pulled in a particular direction or having your focus placed on something that you can't ignore. Some Jedi experience visions."

"And this Force gives you special powers?"

"I wouldn't exactly call them powers."

"Being able to see into people's minds? I would call that a power." He leaned against the wall. "What all can you do?"

Alés rolled her eyes. "I can manipulate objects with my mind -"

"All objects? Like what the kid did with the mudhorn?" She nodded. "Yes, Jedi can read other's thoughts and emotions. The Force can also give us extra strength and agility if needed. Some are able to see things from the past just by touching an object, like reading the memories of that item, while others could control aspects of nature. None of it comes easily or quickly. Jedi would train for at least ten years, usually more like thirteen to fifteen years before they had honed their skills enough to take the Trials and venture out on their own."

"And you did not get that far?"

Her shoulders slumped. "No. I had just become Master Basri's padawan. All my training happened once we were hidden."

Din fiddled with some of the boxes in the hold before turning to her. "What was it like there? What were the Jedi really like when they weren't fighting in the war?"

Alés was silent as she thought on that, wondered how she could convey what normalcy had been for them, the peacefulness of the Temple, the murmurs of Jedi and Padawans going here and there. She bit her lip as an idea came to her.

"Are you allowed to remove your gloves?"

"Yes." His confusion was clear in that one word.

"Then come here and take them off. I've never tried this but my Master taught me about it. Maybe it will work." She seated herself on the floor again and gestured for him to do the same. Once they were settled and he'd removed his gloves she reached out for his hands. "Put them on the sides of my head and leave them there. Just relax." When he'd done as she requested she wrapped her fingers around his wrists and closed her eyes.

It took a moment for her to fully relax. His skin was warm against hers, she could feel the steady pulse under her finger tips; it had been quite some time since she'd had any human contact. Brushing those sensations away Alés concentrated on her memories, allowing them to flow up from where she'd locked them away years ago. She once again saw the graceful, towering arches inside the main hall of the Temple, heard the voices of her clan mates, meditated in the Room of a Thousand Fountains with the calming sound of water around her, watched as Masters Yoda, Windu, and Kenobi strode purposefully down a corridor. A warmth began to grow inside along with a slight stinging in her eyes. Swallowing back tears that she'd told herself she would never shed again she continued to pull up all those memories that would show the man sitting in front of her what life had been like. So much goodness, so much purpose … all gone. Suddenly other memories began to surface, popping up unbidden: the sound of blaster fire, the sight of the clones firing on any Jedi they came across, the smell of fire and death, that pain inside as she began to feel each spark of light in the Force extinguished. All the horrible emotions of that day, confusion, pain, fear, slammed into her like a burst of energy from an engine.

With a slight cry of pain she jerked her eyes open and tried to pull back but he tightened his hold on her slightly keeping her still. She blinked furiously trying to clear the blurriness of tears from her sight.

"How did you do that?"

"It is an ability the Force allows us. Sometimes seeing, feeling, can explain much better than words ever could."

"I've never … experienced anything like that before. I could … feel you, feel what you were feeling, thinking …"

"Yes, which is why I attempted it. There is no way I could ever convey with words all that I feel about that part of my life."

"Can you do that with others? See their memories like that?"

"It does work both ways."

"Did you do that with me just then as well?"

"No. I did not have your permission."

He finally released her though not before gently wiping a tear she hadn't realized she'd let fall from her cheek. The gesture surprised her; never would she have expected such from him. Yes, there was compassion hidden under that beskar and he continuously showed little hints of it.

As she tried to bring her emotions back into balance Din picked up the datapad she had discarded earlier. "Looking for anything in particular?"

"Not really. I was just looking for something to keep occupied so I was trying to refresh my memory of all the star systems and planets." He handed it back to her. "The kid seemed quite interested in it at one point so I let him look at it hoping he would indicate if anything looked familiar to him."

"I guess that didn't work?  
She laughed. "No. He wanted to chew on it." Glancing down at the screen she abruptly froze and peered closer, an idea forming in her mind.

"What's wrong?"

"I want to make a detour."

"What? You said - "

"I know what I said but I want to try something else first."

"Why? What is wrong?"

"You saw what I experienced in the Temple that day. I'm really not in any hurry to return." He didn't say anything but she could feel some emotion from him along with a spurt of understanding. "I'm also leery of walking right back into the heart of what was the Empire. The Emperor is dead but, as you told me, there are those clinging to keep what they can of his Empire alive. That may include making sure there are no Jedi, no Force users, left alive. I would like to see if we can find the answers you seek elsewhere first."

An audible sigh came from under his helmet. "Where?"

"A temple in the ancient home of the Jedi. It may contain older records than the one on Coruscant. It's also surrounded by uncharted systems and not a place to attract much attention."

"And where is this temple?"

"Jedha."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hello. Thank you for the new follows. I hope y'all are all well and safe. I'm starting to go a bit stir crazy but at least I'm starting to feel some motivation to resume working on my Cara Dune kit for Rebel Legion approval. I hope you enjoy this chapter. As always please let me know what you think.**

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**Random: Nope. In hiding on a distant planet for all these years, remember. :)**

**TOWG: Thanks. Character interaction is something I always worry about getting right.**

**naria: No worries! Not everyone always has something to say and that's okay. :)**

**Paul: The city was destroyed. :)**

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**All of the people and places belong to Lucas and Disney ... except my gal Alés and her part in all this.**

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It took longer than expected to get to Jedha.

Din made several jumps, back tracking and going out of their way, in the hopes of throwing off anyone who might be tracking them. Though the encounter on Eriadu had come to nothing, thanks to Alés, it had reminded him that he could not let his guard down. He hoped her intuition was right and they could find information that would lead them to the kid's home or at least more of the Jedi. Surely he would be safe surrounded by others that had this power of the Force. He would certainly be able to relax knowing the little guy was safe. A slight noise had him glancing over his shoulder to where the kid was seated in Alés's lap playing with the braid hanging over her shoulder. The woman was merely staring out the window watching the lines of stars pass by. There was a quietness about her now that hadn't been there before, one he hadn't noticed until she'd shared her memories of the Jedi.

He hadn't felt such an urge to comfort another since … honestly he couldn't remember a time when he'd felt so strongly, even when he and Cara had helped Omera and the families on Sorgan. Perhaps it was the way Alés had shown him her emotions and memories. She had trusted him with that knowledge, had let him inside her head – literally – and that level of trust was not something he encountered frequently. As hard as it was for him to trust others he knew it had to be just as hard for her considering how she had been hunted by the Empire … just as the kid was now. And just like the kid she didn't seem to let it bother her.

"Something on your mind?" he finally asked though he wasn't sure why.

"Just trying to find some balance." Though he didn't say anything she seemed to hear his unspoken question. "I had buried all those memories so I wouldn't feel the pain they bring. Some times remembering things from your past aren't always pleasurable … even if the memories themselves are good."

"And … balance helps?"

She grinned at him. "Mental balance, Mando. Mental balance. One of the first lessons I learned when I was brought to the Temple was that a Jedi does not let emotions take control."

"You weren't supposed to have emotions?"

"Of course we have emotions, we are sentient after all, we just had to learn to control them. _Emotion, yet peace._ If you get overly emotional, letting that consume you and dictate your actions, then it is harder to hear the will of the Force." She paused, staring back out at the stars for a moment. "Most decisions made in the heat of the moment, so to speak, are usually ill thought out. Being able to hear the will of the Force and being able to tap into it could be dangerous if someone let their emotions take over."

"I am sorry I caused you to have to relive those memories."

"Please do not apologize or feel guilty. It was my idea to allow you to see them. Practicing a skill is never a bad thing. Perhaps I needed to see that I could still let go of any despair I might feel upon reliving those memories and regain balance."

Din took her at her word as he didn't want to delve too deeply into any type of emotional territory … despite the fact it was obvious she hadn't completely found the balance she was searching for. At least he wasn't having to deal with an _overly_ emotional female.

A very welcoming beep from the control panel had him giving a quiet sigh of relief. Flipping a switch they dropped out of lightspeed and Jedha hung in the darkness of space in front of them.

"A desert planet it would seem," Alés observed as she peered out the front window.

Information came across one of his screens. "It is though not a scorching hot one like Tatooine." Flicking a switch he expected to hear the hail from the city with landing information but there was nothing but silence. He frowned.

"That's odd. I'm not getting any signal, no landing clearance transmission or docking bay assignment."

"Should you be?"

He nodded, his senses on alert as his mind worked through the possibilities. "We will land some distance from the city and go the rest of the way on foot. I'd rather get a look at what we might be walking into first."

"Do you think there's a problem?"

"If my luck holds the way it has then yes."

.

Once they'd landed Alés helped Din strap the Child into a carrier he'd fashioned to go across his chest. He then opened the door to his armory and handed her a small blaster. At her raised eyebrow he just shrugged.

"Jedha has had a rough reputation in the last several years."

"And you're going to bring the little guy with us?"

"I feel like he'll be safer with us this time." She suppressed a shrug; the Child's welfare had been placed into his keeping after all.

They exited the ship and he closed the ramp, pushing several buttons on his vambrace to lock it. She was glad to be on solid ground again. Becoming acclimated to space travel did not automatically mean she liked it. Letting him take the lead they began their trek east. The land was barren and dusty, no signs of life anywhere. Every so often there were large boulders that seemed a bit out of place as if they'd been dropped there recently.

"These don't appear to have been here for very long," she said as they passed another. "There is not the large build up of sand around the base. It almost looks like sand has been pushed away from the base."

Din had no explanation and steered the conversation towards a more relevant topic. "Why do you think we might find answers here?"

"It is a great Temple and ancient. Some say the Jedi trace their origins here. Those that study the Church of the Force studied there and protected it. My Master said the tunnels underneath it are full of kyber crystals. It never became as … cosmopolitan as the Temple on Coruscant. Because of that I am hoping the Empire never really took notice of it and any records it contains will have survived unharmed."

"And if there's nothing here that can help us?"

"Then I suppose our next destination will be - " Alés froze, her eyes wide. The Child made a concerned squeak, reaching a hand out towards her, but she didn't hear him.

"What – what … happened?" She could barely get the words past her lips.

They stood at the edge of a small hill staring at destruction that spread almost to the horizon in front of them. Where the Holy City was supposed to be was nothing but a crater. The land itself looked like it had been peeled back, massive hills of it were piled up forming a ring around the crater that was miles wide. The blaster she'd been carrying fell to the ground and her hands clinched and unclenched at her sides.

Gone.

Everything was completely gone. The Holy City, the Temple, the kybers. All of it. She had hoped some of the Jedi would be here, some that managed to escape the Emperor's purge, or something that would remind her of those she'd loved, the life she'd lost … but there was nothing left except a crater. For the first time in many years Alés truly struggled with her emotions. Not what she'd experience after letting Din into her head – that had merely been a test of her ability to find balance – but a true struggle of trying to remain calm and push back at the anger and despair that was threatening. There was nothing she could do, no way to help those already dead, but there was almost a physical pain inside at the thought of what was now lost. Her internal battle must have shown on her face because Din laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you alright?"

"How? The entire city … gone. How … what could have done this?"

He could only shake his head.

"I want to go down there," she said several minutes later.

"Why? Anything that might have helped us is gone."

"I just feel like I need to."

.

They came upon a small cluster of tents and ramshackle huts not far from the base of the hill they'd been on. There were a mixture of beings milling around and Alés felt compelled to stop.

"What are you doing?" Din whispered, one of his arms coming up to partially shield the Child.

"Hush." She cautiously approached a group sitting around a brazier over which they were roasting … something.

"What do you need?" one asked briskly. His face and head were almost completely covered with black cloth but the eyes were not threatening. Weary but not threatening.

"I'm merely seeking answers." She gestured towards the destruction to the right. "What happened here?"

"The Empire happened. They'd filled the city with troops and were stealing the kybers from the Temple."

"What for?"

He shrugged. "We never knew. Then one day all the troops were evacuated. What happened next I can't exactly explain but something big appeared in the sky, it blocked the sun, and then there was … some kind of laser – it looked like it had come from a giant blaster – and it hit the city. Everything exploded and just peeled away from the force of it."

"How did you survive?" Din asked.

The man eyed him. "As you can see the blast did not consume the planet. Anyone not within that zone, or close enough to the edge to outrun it, survived."

"Why would the Empire do such a thing?"

Again he shrugged. "There were whispers that it was because of the Temple, because of its connection to the Jedi, but we don't know. It had been many years since any Jedi were here. Most think it was because of the rebel uprising going on at the time."

"The Rebellion was here?"

"Some. They really harassed the Troopers the Empire had stationed here. Right before it all blew you could just feel the tension in the city," the man replied in response to Din's question. "That's why I think it was targeted."

Alés thanked him for his time and continued on; they couldn't tell her anything else.

"They were telling the truth. I could feel it but … how can that be?"

"There were rumors several years ago about some kind of super weapon that could destroy planets."

"The Empire managed to create such a thing?"

"It was never confirmed but I cannot see how a Star Destroyer would've had a weapon capable of destruction like this. An … acquaintance of mine has told me that her home planet of Alderaan was completely destroyed by such a weapon."

"Alderaan is gone?" He nodded. "Why would they create such a thing?"

His helmet turned towards her. "To subdue anyone that dared oppose them."

The closer she and Din got to the crater the larger the debris around them became. Massive pieces of earth had been hurled out of place like they were children's toys. Though he tried to talk her out of it she began climbing the rim created by the blast, struggling to find footholds every so often as the dirt beneath her feet wasn't completely solid. He followed, she could hear his exasperated sigh behind her, but she wouldn't be deterred. She wasn't sure why she felt so strongly about this but she did. When they finally reached the top they were faced with an expanse of land that had been completely wiped clean. In the very center there was an area deeper than everything surrounding it and she knew that's where the city had once stood. She and Master Basri had heard stories, when they'd ventured into the village, about the lengths the Empire had gone to in order to keep the galaxy under control but there was no way they could have imagined the Emperor capable of destroying entire cities – or planets as Din had told her. How much she had missed while living in exile in the Outer Rim.

There was nothing amidst the debris that differentiated between what had been city and what had been natural. Standing there in the middle of the destruction Alés could sense the lingering thoughts and emotions of those caught in the blast. Reaching out she laid a hand on a large rock and visions flashed across her consciousness: a Star Destroyer leaving, a shadow stretching across the city as the object in the sky blocked the light, curiosity then terror in the citizens, a massive blast that sent debris far into the atmosphere, then … darkness. It was like the very last conscious thoughts of those here had been left in the air, frozen in time, for others to find so they wouldn't be forgotten. She could only hope there had been no pain.

"Let's go. As you said there's nothing - " A sudden awareness rolled over her and her eyes darted in the direction they'd come. "We need to hurry. Someone is coming."

"What do you mean? How do you - " Din's words were cut off by the sound of distant blaster fire. She grabbed his hand and pulled him with her. The two of them slid down the side of the crater and took off running in a direction perpendicular from the way they'd come but still towards the _Raven Crest_. The way was not easy, they had to climb over and around the destroyed pieces of Jedha, and she could always sense the approach of whoever it was behind them.

Din hadn't even bothered asking how she knew the blaster fire was from someone looking for them. He'd seen the sudden fear in her eyes. The kid seemed to sense their anxiety and had slunk down in his little carrier with only the tips of his ears sticking above the edge. They were moving up now, the ground beneath their feet quickly ascending, and he knew they were approaching where the _Raven Crest_ was waiting though from a different direction than they'd left. Instead of the gentle slope down they'd originally traversed they appeared to be climbing up the side of a steep cliff. He briefly wondered if the men they'd spoken to at the little settlement had tipped off their pursuer. Maybe one of them was the one now coming after them. There was just no telling. When the _Crest_ was finally visible he almost allowed himself to believe they might make it – then a figure he'd thought dead stepped from around one of the large boulders Alés had commented on earlier.

.

"Surprised to see me?"

"A little."

"Perhaps the next time you and your friends have the opportunity to shoot down a ship you will take the time to make sure its occupant is actually dead."

"I'll make sure to pass along that information so that the next time you will stay dead, Gideon."

She fought to keep her expression calm as she heard the name of the man that Din had explained was hunting for the kid, the one responsible for all the bounty hunters trailing them. It wasn't hard to feel the bit of darkness flowing around him, not strong enough to suggest he was a Force user, but enough to tell her that he was not a good man.

"Escape will not be so easy this time, Mando. There is no one to help you." A dozen or so Stormtroopers swarmed the area, flanking Gideon on both sides. "You are quite outnumbered. The way to your ship is blocked. I will leave here with the Asset."

"The odds don't seem too bad," Din replied flippantly though she could hear the tension in his voice.

Alés pressed her lips together for a moment as she tried to come up with a way out _other_ than the obvious as she really hadn't wanted to go that route. She'd remained hidden and safe all these years, hidden what she truly was … but when the troopers raised their blasters she knew time was up.

"Shield the Child just in case," she whispered.

"Just in case what? What are you – Alés - "

She didn't hear the rest of Din's frantic words as she took a few steps towards Gideon.

"What are you doing, girl?"

"I haven't been called a 'girl' in quite a few years."

"I don't know who you are but you cannot stop me from getting what I came for. Take another step and it will be your last."

A smirk flirted across her lips as she resolutely stepped forwards.

With a single word the troopers opened fire.

.

Din instinctively turned to shield the kid then watched in amazement as the blaster bolts stopped midair when she raised her hands. The glowing streaks hovered there a moment, shimmering as their energy struggled to break free of whatever was holding it. Then, with a flick of her wrists the bolts were flung back the way they'd come taking out all the Stormtroopers that had fired them. The expression on Gideon's face was slightly comical: wide eyes full of shock, mouth gaping open momentarily like a burra fish. Before he could take advantage of the situation now swinging in their favor, number wise anyway, Alés had started towards the Moff again. He called out to her to stop but she just waved him off. There was a flash of panic inside when he realized she no longer carried the blaster he'd given her but at that point all he could do was watch as it was clear his assistance was not currently needed. What happened next opened his eyes even further.

.

"You're a Jedi." It wasn't a question.

She chuckled a bit. "You thought the Jedi were extinct? That the Emperor's cowardly lackies had found and destroyed us all." In a heartbeat she called her lightsaber to hand and thumbed it on, taking a slight defensive stance as she did so. "You were wrong."

There was a hesitation on Gideon's side before he pulled a hilt out from under his cloak and ignited it. Though no reaction showed on her face inwardly she was a trifle surprised … and she clearly heard the sharp intake of breath behind her. His having the Darksaber didn't faze her in the least though; he was not in tune with the Force. His lack of training was quickly obvious as he came right at her swinging the blade down at an angle. There was strength behind it but she easily parried it. Deciding to let him tire himself out she stayed on the defensive keeping her movements to a minimum while he did all the work. It was something Master Basri had insisted she learn since she was on the short, small side: save energy whenever possible in a match against a physically stronger or larger opponent.

He eventually caught on and sneered at her. "Why do you not strike back, girl? Lacking in skill? Determination?"

"Simply giving you the opportunity to leave before I have to do something I really would prefer not to."

"You are merely a remnant of an Order long gone and forgotten."

"As you are a remnant of an Order soundly defeated and reviled. You may have forgotten us. The Emperor may have thought he'd destroyed all the Jedi, destroyed our hope, but he didn't." She quickly switched to the offensive, her white blade spinning quickly in front of her now as she began pushing Gideon back. "We waited. We learned. We adapted."

"You have no idea what you are doing, what you are getting in the way of. You have no idea what you have there."

"I believe I have a better idea than anyone."

Alés had had enough of the little game and she opened herself up fully to the Force, allowing it to rush through her like a wave, and guide her movements. It had been so long, so very, very long, since she had done so and a smile crossed her lips as she felt it. With a fresh determination she drove him further and further back, her quick swings not giving him time to do anything except frantically block her blade. She sensed the quick approach of at least two others, rightly guessed it was more Troopers, and was ready when they appeared. Spinning towards Gideon she pushed out with one hand and the two newcomers were shoved backwards. Thankfully Din had his blaster ready and finished them off before they could regroup. Knowing there were more and not wanting the Child to remain in danger she swung downward with her blade right through the wrist holding the Darksaber. Gideon gave out a howl of pain and stumbled backwards, gripping where he used to have a hand. As she stepped towards him he pressed something on his armored chest plate and there was the rumble of engines behind him. There was only time to fling herself towards Din and the Child as a small transport type ship rose above the edge of the cliff and fired at them. She pressed her lips together in frustration knowing this was allowing Gideon to escape but it had happened so quickly and her first instinct had been to protect the others. Sensing when they were going to fire again she flung her hands out, stopping the blast, and shoving it back at the ship. That seemed to be quite enough for whoever was in the pilot's seat.

The ship swung around to attack from behind, pushing them away from the _Crest, _and they dove to the side to avoid another round of cannon fire, wrapping themselves around the Child. Though it missed them the ground where it hit exploded and the overlook began to crumble. Another blast from the departing ship landed near Din and the force of it sent him hurtling towards the edge. She reached out and managed to grab his leg before he plummeted over. However his momentum threw him forward and most of his body did slide off the cliff. Her grip on him kept him from going all the way over, and she saw that he wrapped his arms around the Child in his carrier, but his head slammed against the rocks and knocked his helmet loose. Alés watched as it tumbled away, striking the wall of the cliff on its way down. After a split second of surprise, and the briefest glimpse of dark hair on his head, she clamped her eyes shut.

"I've got you!"

He was heavy and she was afraid they'd all go over if she didn't get him back on solid ground fast. Gritting her teeth she took a deep breath and pulled, focusing on the wonderful feeling of the Force flowing through her. It had been so long since it had been felt so strongly; even in the five years since the veil of the Dark Side had lifted she still hadn't reaccustomed herself to it. To tap into it so fully twice within a few minutes felt wonderful. It didn't take very long and she heard the sound of his armor scraping along the rock.

"Why do you have your eyes closed?"

Without the modulator in his helmet his voice was a very pleasant baritone.

"Your helmet. I know no one is to see you without it."

"There doesn't seem to be anyway to avoid that now." There was a hint of dejection in his voice.

"Give me a moment."

She turned from him and opened her eyes, peering down over the edge. Though she couldn't see it she knew it was down there. Putting a hand out she again reached into the Force. A few heartbeats later and the now dented helmet settled into her hands. Turning her face away she held it out to him.

"Only a little worse for wear," she quipped. There was the sound of him sliding it back on his head and he told her she could open her eyes.

"Thank you."

"I couldn't let you or the little guy end in such a way. That would be letting Gideon win." She reached out to pat the Child on the head. "Is he okay? You hit that wall pretty hard?"

"He seems to be."

"And you?"

"Only a little worse for wear," he replied, echoing her words. "That's not the hardest knock on the head I've ever had."

"Why does that not surprise me?"


	7. Chapter 7

**B/N: Hello! Thank you to all the new folks that have clicked the follow button and continued thanks to those of you still coming along on this journey with me. This chapter gave me a lot of problems, not gonna lie about it. I've changed things, added things, took things out, pulled my hair out a bit, but I think I finally have it in a good place. I hope you enjoy. :) Please let me know as always. **

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**Random: Thank you for your review. I can't wait to see what season 2 has for us! I hope to see some lightsabers, too. :)**

**Naria: Hehe. I'm glad you liked it! As she told Gideon, they may have been hiding all those years but they weren't spent idly. **

**Coyote: Thank you so much!**

**TOWG: Thank you. :) Yeah, she kept those eyes closed since she knew what it means to him ... but I'm sure she was tempted. Lol!**

**joey: Oh I am and here is the next chapter! I hope you like it.**

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**It all belongs to Lucas and Favreau and Filoni. They're the geniuses. Alés is all I can take credit for.**

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Once they were back in the safety of the _Crest_ Alés took the Child from Din as he climbed up the ladder to the cockpit seemingly without touching a single rung in his haste. She followed a bit more carefully and settled into the seat at his right. After a quick area scan told them that Gideon's ship was no where to be found he got them off the ground and heading back towards space. She could sense the tension flowing from him though there was more underneath that she couldn't quite figure out.

"What's on your mind?"

"I think you are right in trying to avoid Coruscant as long as possible. I want to try finding information elsewhere first," he told her as they exited the planet's atmosphere.

"I assume you have somewhere in mind?"

He nodded. "Where I found him."

"You think there would be information there?"

"It was a military or research facility," was his short reply. She refrained from more questions watching as he put coordinates into the navicomputer and made the jump to lightspeed.

"Gideon is rather … formidable," she finally said, keeping her voice light though her heart rate hadn't quite returned to normal.

There was what sounded like an amused snort from under the helmet. "That is one way of putting it. He was - " His words came to a halt as he turned towards her then quickly reached for her left arm. "You're hurt."

She glanced down and was surprised to see a rather large blood stain on her sleeve. He carefully pushed the fabric up revealing a short but deep cut right below her elbow.

"When did this happen? During the fight with Gideon?"

"No. He wasn't able to get any hits on me." Lifting her arm up so she could see the injury closer she frowned. "Besides, this isn't what a lightsaber would leave on the skin. It would have cauterized it so there wouldn't have been this much blood."

"Something must have hit you in one of the cannon blasts."

"There were certainly enough chunks of rock flying around."

Alés could sense the frown on his face. "Medkit is down in the hold. Come on."

Scooping the kid up she followed him back down the ladder and seated herself while he pulled out what was needed to fix her up. The Child toddled over to her side with the injured arm and seemed to peer at it intently for a moment. Just as Din was returning to her, Medkit in hand, the little guy was reaching towards her arm.

"Not this time," Din murmured then picked him up and placed him in his cubicle. She frowned in confusion.

"What was that about?"

"I've seen him heal people."

"Truly?" A nod as he pushed her sleeve up. "Why would you tell him not to help me? It would save you some time."

"Using his powers really wears him out … and I would prefer to handle this myself."

"Why?"

He focused on cleaning the area around the cut rather than answering. She hissed a bit as the antiseptic spray bit into the torn skin but it didn't deter her from her question. The strange feeling she'd sensed in him in the cockpit was still simmering.

"Din?"

"You were injured protecting me and the kid. You wouldn't have even been in that mess except for your offer to help me."

Alés wanted to assure him that in no way did she hold him responsible for the attack or her injury but she could tell this was not something he was going to budge on. It was certainly a kind gesture and not something she would have expected from a Mandalorian, though she would be the first to admit her knowledge of their culture was slim. What she did know was that they held honor in the highest regard and she supposed his was telling him it was his duty to care for her at the moment. While she would have very much liked to have seen what the Child could do she refrained from saying anything else on the subject.

His hands were warm on her skin as he applied a bacta patch to her arm. It was a slightly strange sensation but she found she liked it. Though his fingertips were callused his touch was gentle. His whole manner towards her was gentle and she wasn't exactly sure when it had morphed from the cautiousness he'd displayed when they'd first met. Perhaps he was becoming more used to her presence – she certainly was more accustomed to having him around – and some trust had grown. She knew she felt like he could be trusted now. It was nice to think they might be able to become friends at some point.

"That should heal fairly quickly," he said securing a bandage on her arm.

"Thank you. I can feel it working already."

Alés expected him to sit back but he stayed still. His hand remained on the bandage for a second then slid down to cover where her own rested on her thigh. She peered at him curiously and wished she could see his eyes.

"Can – _could_ – all Jedi do what you just did?"

"Yes and much more."

"Can you? Do more?"

"Possibly … if the situation calls for it. Back there certainly called for it. That was the first time I've used my saber in years."

"And Gideon had the Darksaber." There was anger in his voice.

"Do you have any idea how he got it?"

He shook his head. "The last I knew it was in the hands of Bo Katan. Of course that was before the Empire wiped out so many of us."

His hand was still covering hers and, not wanting to break that contact, she twisted her hand until they were palm to palm and squeezed.

"It is a heavy burden to carry, being spared when so many died, but the Force must have a plan for you, Din, or you would have perished with the rest. At least you are not alone. You have said there are a few coverts still hidden on various planets. Your way of life has not been completely wiped away." She nodded, blankly staring at wall, as she thought about how the Jedi and their ways were gone. Din himself was an example of how well the Emperor had been able to erase the very knowledge of there having been Jedi in the galaxy. "Yes. At least you have that."

To her surprise he squeezed her hand in a comforting way, pulling her attention back to him. "Surely you are not the only Jedi left alive. The Kid there is proof of that."

"He is Force sensitive, yes, but he is no Jedi. One goes through years of training in order to gain that title. If there are other survivors out there they have concealed themselves and their Force signatures well as neither I nor my Master have ever been able to sense any of them."

"You can do that? Sense people around the galaxy?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes. Master Brasi once told me that he felt when the Jedi were slaughtered, that it was like thousands of lights blinking out in the galaxy, thousands of pin pricks stabbing him all at once." She focused her gaze on his T-visor. "I hope there are still some out there and they will be able to help the little one. I cannot train him to be a Jedi."

"But until we do he can watch you, learn from you, begin to understand this power he has."

"No," she replied with a shake of her head. "I am not the right person to attempt such a thing."

"Why is that?"

"My knowledge, my skills, are not what a Master needs in order to train another."

"From what I saw on Jedha you are quite skilled. I have never witnessed such a power before. If what you say is true and the other Jedi were even more powerful than you then I am glad I never had to face one." Alés ducked her head a bit at the compliment but he reached up and gently, with a finger under her chin, lifted it back up. "Show me what you can do."

"You already have."

"I'd like to see it again, especially that blade of yours. Can you lift anything? Even things bigger than my helmet?"

She pressed her lips together. "Why?"

"It is hard to take everything in when you're in the midst of a fight. I am curious about what the Kid might be able to do one day … and I am curious about you."

There was an earnestness in his voice that weakened her resolve. Her abilities were not for showing off … but if Din wanted a small demonstration that badly …

She couldn't keep the grin off her face a moment later when an undignified yelp came from under his helmet as his feet rose from the floor. He kept a tight grip on her hand as he was lifted into the air.

"Alés! What – are you doing this?"

"You wanted to know if I could lift anything heavier than your helmet," she replied with a shrug.

He was now hovering well off the floor, his grip on her the only thing keeping him from going all the way to the ceiling. "Okay. You can put me down now."

With a chuckle she complied. When his feet were again on solid ground he let go of her hand.

"How do you do that?"

"The Force surrounds everything, penetrates everything. If you can listen to it you can also use it."

"And your saber?"

"It becomes like an extension of your body. Again, being able to listen to the Force helps us in our use of it. Without that it is merely a sword you're swinging around hoping to hit or deflect something. With the Force there is no guesswork, no wondering if you are going to be able to block a swing from another lightsaber or deflect a blaster bolt; you already know your blade will be exactly where it needs to be." Anticipating his next request she pulled her saber out and, after flicking her hand to dim the lights in the cargo hold, she thumbed it on. The white blade bathed the space in a warm glow. After giving it a few twirls (she couldn't help but show off a little) she began going through the positions and motions that made up the different forms of saber combat, naming and explaining each one to him as she went along.

He stood still against the wall opposite. Though Alés couldn't see it his eyes never left her. Until she'd ignited her saber facing Gideon he'd never seen one and now he couldn't take his eyes off her movements. Her ability to move things without touching them had been impressive – and he hoped he would never suffer the brunt of it like those Stormtroopers did – but there was something mesmerizing about watching her with the lightsaber. She was graceful, like he would imagine a dancer would be, but the power behind her swings was evident even against an invisible opponent. The glow lit up her face as the blade swung, dipped, slashed, and twirled, making her eyes shine and he could see the concentration in them. The skill of the Mandalorians in battle was well known and he took pride in that but as he stood there he realized the Jedi might have been their equals.

Din was immensely glad she was on his side.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Deepest apologies. I never intended to go this long without updating. I've had a lot to deal with and just haven't had the time to sit and write like I have in the past. I do hope some of you are still out there. I wanted to get this chapter up before the new season started (couldn't cut it any closer!) and we were given all new information. :) Let me know what you think. I have one more chapter/epilogue to post and then I will probably wait and see what happens in season 2 before continuing. Enjoy!**

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Not being able to take a direct route to Arvala-5 caused the trip to take a few days but Alés could not fault him for his caution. They'd already run into two bounty hunters, not to mention Gideon, and an extended journey was fine by her if it meant they avoided any more problems. He seemed preoccupied and she gave him space to work through whatever was on his mind. The cautiousness of the early days of their acquaintance hadn't returned but she sensed he was trying to keep some distance between them. While she complied with that unspoken request she was a bit surprised to find she didn't like it. Din's presence had become comfortable to her. She felt … safe with him which was something she hadn't felt since her Master died and while _that _was a familiar sensation there was more to it than that. What was different she couldn't quite put her finger on. All she knew was she had grown to like this Mandalorian and liked being around him. It had been a very long time since she had let herself trust anyone else but somehow this helmeted man had earned that. Perhaps it was how dutifully he was trying to carry out his task of finding a safe place for the kid despite all the unknowns facing him. Someone far less honorable and worthy of trusting wouldn't have put himself in such danger.

She glanced over at where the little guy was playing with some netting he'd found in one of the boxes, his ears tipping up and down as he investigated his find. There was something special about him, besides his Force sensitivity. The Force seemed to hover around him and while he still wasn't fully aware of his potential it was clear he had some knowledge of being able to do _something_. Alés tried not to think about what possible reasons someone like Gideon might have for his pursuit of the kid and desperately hoped they'd be able to find someone that could help him. If there were other Jedi alive … she took a deep breath to calm the little spark of hope that had flamed up inside. Everything would be as the Force willed it and she had to keep her focus on that point.

There was a slight touch on her hand and she looked down to find the kid standing in front of her, his dark eyes boring into her with a wisdom far beyond his years.

"What do you know, little one? What have you seen and experienced?" She reached out and patted his head. "Do you know where we might find your kind or even other Jedi?" The last two words came out almost as a whisper. The thought of finding other Jedi after all these years was a bit overwhelming and sad at the same time. There had once been thousands scattered across the Galaxy and now … now there might only be one. One left that absolutely could not train the Force sensitive standing in front of her. Surely the Force would not ask such a thing of her; so much could go wrong if the Master was not ready. The kid tilted his head a bit as he stared up at her then moved his hand on hers in what she could easily call a comforting gesture. She gave him a small smile and he climbed up into her lap snuggling close to her.

"I suppose it is getting rather late." Wiggling around a bit she was able to find a more comfortable position on the corner bench she'd been sitting on and closed her eyes with a sigh. Not the most comfortable spot but she'd slept in worse over the years. The kid seemed quite content where he was and his warmth was welcome. She'd rest like this for a little while then move him to his more comfortable cubicle.

Alés was asleep within minutes.

Once her breathing was slow and even Din came down the final few rungs of the ladder and watched her sleep with the Kid on her chest. If he hadn't already felt like he could trust her the fact that the little guy obviously did would've been enough to convince him. Surely with the special powers he had he would know if someone could be trusted or not. It would've been a very useful ability in bounty hunting. Grabbing a blanket from the cubicle the kid usually slept in he carefully laid it over the two of them, surprising himself as he did so. What was coming over him? First the kid and now this female? He'd survived on his own for years without having to worry about anyone else and now, within the span of a few months, he was now showing signs of caring about two other people. As he looked down at them he couldn't deny that truth. The kid and Alés had become important to him very quickly and he knew he would do much more to keep them safe than he had ever done for himself. He'd heard her quiet words as he'd stayed hidden between the cockpit and the hold of the ship (though he wondered if she'd sensed him there). Uncouth bounty hunter he might be but even he could hear the hitch in her voice when she spoke about the possibility of there being other Jedi.

She'd mentioned the fact that her way of life had been completely wiped out, that he was fortunate in the survival of some Mandalorians. Din hadn't thought about it in that manner before but he supposed he wasn't as alone in the Galaxy as she and the kid seemed to be. Yes, the Empire had come after his kind but, as she'd said, some of them had survived. As his escape from Nevarro showed there were still enough Mandos around to help each other out of tight situations and the number of Foundlings that had been just in his covert showed their way of life was not in danger of being snuffed out … at least not yet. He didn't know anything about the Emperor but considering how thoroughly he had purged the Jedi Order it certainly seemed as if he had deemed them much more of a threat. If Gideon and those with him still believed as the Emperor had then Alés and the kid could still be in a lot of danger. It would certainly explain how hard it had been to find even knowledge of the Jedi. Of course Alés and the kid would stay with them if they ever found one …

He frowned at the thought. The thought of leaving them with someone else didn't sit well with him. Would these Jedi be able to keep them safe from Gideon? Could he trust someone else to take care of them? As if sensing his unease Alés's eyes flickered open.

"You need to rest, too, Din," she mumbled, giving him a sleepy smile, before drifting off again. He caught himself reaching down to brush a strand of hair out of her face and jerked backwards rather awkwardly. What _had_ come over him? Giving her a last, quick glance, he returned to his pilot's seat and tried to only think about searching the facility where he'd found the kid.

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Alés and the Child watched Din as he worked on wiring behind one of the panels near the rear of the ship. Ever since they'd touched down on Arvala-5 he'd been messing with wiring and a whole lot of other things she didn't know a thing about. To her untrained eye it almost looked like he was trying to program the ship to do something. Before ushering them down the ramp he plugged several different wires in various places and flicked a few switches. Once they were on the ground and the ramp was up he began pushing things on his vambrace.

"What are you doing?"

"The last time I was here Jawas dismantled my ship. I'm not going to let that happen again."

"I think I'll prefer to stay in the dark about what will happen to any of the creatures should they be unfortunate enough to touch your ship," she said with a slight frown. Uneducated in the workings of a ship she might be but even she had seen him plugging things into the power supply and she didn't like the thought of what that energy could do to a creature.

"Might be best."

After situating the Child in the carrier on his chest Din started towards the facility wedged into the edges of the canyon. Though his movements were smooth she could tell by the way he held the blaster he was very much aware of everything around them. She allowed her senses to stretch out as well, searching for anything beyond what their eyes or ears would be able to detect. Obvious signs of a hard fight greeted them in the courtyard of the complex: scorch marks on the walls, charred wreckage, and a gaping hole in the blast door in front of them.

"What happened here?" she asked, toeing at some pieces of shrapnel on the ground.

"They were not going to give him up willingly," was all the reply he gave. Stepping through the charred opening Din brought his blaster up in front of him and his movements became much more cautious. Following his example Alés ignited her saber and took up a defensive position slightly behind him. There was no way of knowing if anything else had decided to take up residence in the abandoned facility after he left with the Child and considering the fact that there were no bodies anywhere ... They moved slowly but steadily down a long hallway until they came to a large door that was miraculously unlocked and open. Peeking inside they saw several computer stations and he nudged her inside.

She looked at him incredulously. "What do you expect me to do?"

"Use that power of yours and see if you can find anything useful."

"That's not how the Force works!" She grabbed his arm and yanked him in after her. "Two sets of eyes will make this go much quicker."

She could tell he wanted to argue but she spun him towards one of the consoles closest to the door then took a place at one nearby. Luckily the screens lit right up with just a couple of touches and they began scrolling through all the information looking for anything that would be useful. There was so much to go through and she had no idea what to even look for. Beside her she could sense Din's rising frustration but also … her hands froze and she looked towards their exit.

"What is it?"

"Something is coming … a group of somethings."

Din tensed. "Gideon? He found us?"

She shook her head. "No. They don't appear to be humanoid."

A howl echoed through the empty facility and Din took up a position at the door. "If I'm not mistaken that sounds like korienas."

"What are they?"

"Pack hunters. They must have picked up our scent."

"Lovely."

"Hurry. You don't have much time."

Scrolling more rapidly Alés tried to relax enough to allow the Force to guide her fingers, to at least point her in the right direction. Finally, as she could sense their hunters drawing closer, something caught her eye.

"There's no mention of where they found him but it does say he was at the Temple before the Jedi Purge. Its possible they took him from there when it was attacked and the Order fell." She frowned as she quickly did the math. "I'd hate to think he was a prisoner here for … twenty-seven years."

"Looks like we can't avoid Coruscant after all."

"I never thought we could. I had just … hoped there would be other places to look first but everything keeps pointing us there."

"Is there anything else?"

"No. For something so valuable there's a shocking lack of information on him. It's almost as if someone is afraid to have too much of a record on him."

"I doubt he was as important to the ones that held him here as he is to Gideon. Come on. We have to go."

They made it to the main entrance when the korienas found them. Two had been waiting right outside the door, leaping at them when they tried to step out. One was met with a blaster bolt to the gut while the other was greeted by the slash of a lightsaber. At their pack mates' deaths the others began to slowly close in on them.

The striped beasts weren't exceptionally large but there were at least a dozen of them scattered around the courtyard, yellow eyes locked on them.

"We'll have to keep moving or they'll overwhelm us by attacking at once. We should be able to pick them off if they come too close," Din explained. "Stick right by my side. Don't let them separate us."

"Wait. Let me. I can subdue them until we get by."

"They'll just come after us again."

"Not once we're in the ship."

He hesitated but she stepped around him and calmly made her way into the courtyard. Then, just like during the fight with Gideon, Din could only watch amazed as each of the korienas, after trying to get close to her, laid down in the dirt, their noses on the ground. She motioned to him.

"Come on but carefully, no sudden movements."

Alés held her breath the whole way back to the _Crest_ – which was still in one piece thanks to luck or Din's tinkering – and didn't release her hold on the korienas until the ramp closed behind them. Once they were safe she sank to the floor, pulling her knees to her chest. She had been worried her skill would not be strong enough to hold back that many and she didn't know if they would have been able to fight off ten at once. She felt the ship lift off but the sensation of rising through the atmosphere did not follow. Dragging herself to her feet she made her way up to the cockpit and through the windows she could see that they were flying just above the surface.

"What are you doing?"

"There's one more stop I need to make."

.

The cluster of huts, fencing, and moisture vaporators was not what she was expecting.

"What is this place?" she asked as she followed him into a small shed. There were tools and pieces of machinery scattered across the ground and workbenches. Din walked up to one and began looking through the mess, picking random items up to examine closer.

"A … friend lived here. He was a mechanic. I wanted to pick up some of his tools to keep on the _Crest_."

Glancing around the small compound it was clear it had sat vacant for some time.

"What happened to him?"

"He was killed on Nevarro. Stormtroopers after the kid. He tried to get him to safety." His hands stilled and his helmet tilted up as if he was glancing around the abandoned homestead. "All he wanted was to live in peace."

.

They decided to stay long enough to rest and eat. Knowing their next stop, Coruscant, was a few days journey, Alés enjoyed the brief time they had free of the confines of the ship. While she didn't mind traveling she had decided she much preferred staying in one place where should could be free to move around. Wanting to take advantage of the opportunity she slipped out after they'd eaten and walked to the edge of the little homestead and settled herself on the ground. She sat cross legged facing the sunset but she did not see it. Her eyes closed as she slipped into her meditation. The quiet, with only the sounds of Din and the Child moving around in the hut, was peaceful and she allowed herself to relax.

_There was darkness, unbelievable darkness, and in it …_

_ It wasn't over. Those that sought to harness and use the Dark Side had not been defeated completely. No. The Emperor might be gone but there were those hoping to resurrect what the Rebellion had defeated only a few short years before. They couldn't use the powers of the Dark Side but they knew of it and someday someone would appear that _could_ use it. Alés frowned as she searched through the Force. _That_ was what the Dark Side wanted. She could feel it hovering, waiting until …_

_ Something in the darkness seemed to become aware of her and it lunged. She felt like she was being spun around, yanked in all directions, then squeezed until she couldn't breathe. All the while a horrible, screeching, cackle echoed around her …_

"Alés!"

She forced her eyes open to find Din in front of her, his hands cupping the sides of her face.

"What is wrong?"

"I saw … they … it's not over. The Dark Side, it's just waiting, biding it's time." Her words came out in spurts as she gasped for breath. She reached up and wrapped her hands around his wrists, finding comfort in his presence.

"Waiting for what?"

"Someone new that can harness and use its power." She glanced at the Child hovering in the hut's doorway. "That is why they want him."

"So what do we need to do?"

"We have to get to Coruscant. I feel … I feel like there is something or someone there that will be able to help us but we need to hurry."

Din didn't move, remaining where he was in front of her. "Are you alright?"

"Yes. Now. You pulled me out of … whatever it was. How did you know to come check on me?"

"I didn't. The kid suddenly got agitated and began pointing out here. At first I thought the korienas had found us again. When I didn't see anything near you I came out to investigate and that's when I found you choking."

"Choking?"

"You were gasping for air. I … wasn't sure what to do for you …"

"Thank you."

"Can you get up? I think I'm ready to get off this planet."

Though she nodded he helped her to her feet then kept an arm around her waist as they gathered up the Child and made their way back to the _Crest_. Feeling her next to him and then hearing her gentle words to the kid as she sat in the seat behind him in the cockpit calmed his nerves and reassured him that she was, indeed, alright. Din really didn't want to remember the fear he'd felt when he'd heard her gasping for air with no visible signs of why or how helpless he'd felt when he couldn't figure out a way to help her. If whatever had attacked her had done it through the Force then how would she ever be safe? As he set their course for Coruscant Din hoped that whoever or whatever they found there would be able to help more than just the kid.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Wow! Thank you and welcome to all who have clicked the follow button! That just makes my day (so do reviews lol!). Anyway ... I had most of this chapter written WELL before today's episode aired (episode 13 - The Jedi) and had hoped to have it ready before today but ... I'm a bit glad I waited as I made a few changes to the very end to compensate for what has been revealed. In my head my story takes place in the few weeks before the start of the current season. The next few chapters will include things from the season and then we'll see. Remember, I started this just on a whim! Enjoy and let me know what you think!**

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**Love - Thank you for all the reviews! So glad you found my little tale!**

**Guest - I fully intend to continue on with the story though I'm not sure how long it will end up being at this point! :)**

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**All Hail Dave Filoni!**

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Though she tried to remain calm a rush of emotions flooded through her as she watched Coruscant grow large in front of the windows. Her life had started here, she had expected to spend most of her days there, but the majority of it had been lived far away in hiding and she wasn't sure what to feel as they approached. Anticipation, excitement, curiosity, fear. They all swirled together in such a storm that it left her heart pounding and her breathing a bit erratic. What would be waiting for them on the surface? What would they find at the Temple? For once her techniques for releasing all her anxiety into the Force was not working.

"Are you alright?"

"I think so."

"You don't sound very sure of that."

"I'm not sure what to feel at the moment. I don't know if I'm looking forward to seeing some place from my past or if I'm afraid."

He paused. "I can go with the kid if you'd rather stay in the _Crest_."

Something inside her settled and warmed at his words. He was offering her a way to avoid a situation that most likely, despite whatever they might find, would cause her some pain. He was willing to go into the unknown without someone watching his back. It showed a depth of caring that she instinctively knew was a surprise to him as well. Alés could've hugged him in gratitude if she'd thought the sentiment would be accepted.

"Thank you but I must do this. Besides helping you and the little one I feel like I need to see … I just need to see."

Din didn't question her further on the subject. After they'd landed he brought up a map of their sector of Coruscant and began scanning it for the Temple. For a couple moments names and images scrolled by on the screen though nothing about the Jedi Temple appeared.

"Could it be gone?"

Alés felt her shoulders sag a bit. "I suppose. Perhaps there is something else here that the Force was pointing us to." She paused, focusing all the energy she could now feel around her. "But I don't think that's the case."

"There's no mention of it in any of the directories." The uncertainty was clear in his voice.

"Well, there's one way to find out."

She spun and slid down the ladder leaving him to follow. Digging through the things she'd brought from her home in exile she pulled out the dark robe that had belonged to Master Brasi. Slipping her arms into the worn, rough fabric gave her confidence a small boost and when Din came to her side with the kid strapped to his chest she could feel it even further. As she clipped her lightsaber to her belt she could feel him frown.

"Isn't that putting a target on your back? If there are those that still despise the Jedi like you've feared wouldn't seeing that just make it easier to find you?"

"I will not stand before the Temple – or the remains of the Temple – as a coward. I will face it as a Jedi so anyone nearby might be reminded that we existed … and gave our lives to protect the Galaxy."

Din stayed as close to her side as normal movement would allow as they made their way through the city. Alés never hesitated and lead them in whatever direction that inner sense pushed her. He kept an eye on those they passed, his hand resting on his blaster, ready to defend her if the need arose. As they progressed there were a few who stopped and stared, a few whispered conversations between companions, but thankfully there was no other reaction from those on the sidewalks. The press of everyone around them reminded him why he avoided cities like Coruscant.

They finally emerged from between two rows of towering buildings into a large, open space which was dominated by the massive ziggurat in the center. The sudden lack of traffic around them put his senses on high alert. Why was there suddenly barely anyone around? Belatedly he realized that the woman by his side hadn't moved and the kid had grown quiet.

"Alés?"

She was frozen to the sidewalk, her eyes locked on the building in front of them. She could hear some distraught cooing from the little one but she found she couldn't move. Couldn't pull her attention from what was before them. Yes, the statues of past Jedi were gone. Yes, the decorative façade had been removed. Of course there were no Jedi and padawans coming and going from the front entrance. That wasn't what had her rooted to the spot. It was the _feeling_ of the place. The taint of the Dark Side lingered though it was clear someone – or _someones_ – had been working since the Emperor's downfall to remove it, to cleanse it. That taint covered everything like a greasy, slick film and it sent a slight shiver down her spine; she hadn't felt the touch of the Dark Side so strongly since that night everything fell apart.

_What had happened here?_

She became aware of Din's hand on her arm and taking a few deep breaths she started moving forward, every step leading up to what had been the Temple almost painful. The startling silence wrapped around them as they made their way slowly up the stairs towards the entrance.

The shadow of the building swallowed them and she could feel her legs shake a bit as they walked inside. The interior had been stripped of any reminder of what this great place had once housed. Gone were the beautiful statues and shining floors, the soft rugs and donated art work. Everything was dark in color with ugly furniture scattered against the walls. She didn't know what would have been more painful: coming back and discovering what had been done to her former home or returning to see nothing had changed.

"So where do we go?"

"The Archives, if they still exist, were touted as the most complete and thorough collection of knowledge in the Galaxy. If there's information about him it would have to be there."

"And you still know how to get there?" She just glanced at him with a raised eyebrow then headed deeper into the Temple. The feeling of darkness seemed a bit less as they neared the entrance to the Archives. Whatever had been working to erase its touch had focused their efforts here … though when they stepped through the entrance she couldn't understand why. Just like all traces of beauty and grace had been removed from the exterior of the building gone was every hint of knowledge and wisdom that had once been contained within the room … and it hadn't just been taken away. The chamber had been completely destroyed. Piles of rubble littered the floor containing the remains of the massive shelves, computer stations, and statues that had filled the space. It was clear whoever had brought the Dark Side into the Temple had wanted everything in here wiped from existence. There was evidence someone had been trying to dig through the mess – most likely in an effort to find any of the thousands of holocrons that had once been housed here – which meant there was little chance anything of use remained.

"I don't think we're going to find anything in here," she said quietly, her eyes still raking over the utter destruction before her.

"Is there anywhere else we can look?"

Alés bit her lip as she tried to remember where the Jedi Masters would have gone for information during the War. "Perhaps, if it's still there, the Communications Center may have something we can look through. I believe it was an information hub during the Clone Wars so maybe it hasn't been destroyed since it would've been full of useful equipment."

After a not so short walk and a few turbolift rides they were rewarded for their persistence when they walked in to find a room full of computer terminals, holoprojector tables, and comm stations that all looked like they were still in working order. Quickly sliding into one of the terminals while Din tried to keep the little one from messing with too much Alés began trying to find her way through all the files that were surprisingly accessible. Her relief at finding anything was short lived as she soon realized nothing contained within the computer systems was older than the Imperial takeover. Not quite willing to give up yet she continued searching, hoping that she might stumble across something relating to the Jedi.

"Any luck?" Din asked from behind her right shoulder.

"No. Anything that was here before the Purge has been wiped clean. Apparently the Temple was turned into Palpatine's personal palace – his _home_ – after he destroyed the Jedi." The thought of that creature desecrating the sacred halls with his presence, the joy he must have found in making his home where the Jedi had once lived, made her want to cry. "I've only come across brief mentions in old Holonews articles about how the 'Jedi uprising' was 'thankfully' put down and that the new government has assured all citizens any remaining Jedi were being taken care of." She frowned. "How could the population of the entire Galaxy have been so blind? How could they have just let this happen after all the Jedi had done?"

"Mob mentality. Sway one to your way of thinking and stick 'em in a large group. Eventually the rest will fall in line."

"Well, however Palpatine did it he was extremely successful. You're proof enough that most don't even remember there were Jedi. There's no mention of anything for several years until -" Alés froze as a name jumped out at her from the screen.

"What is it? Did you find something?"

"I … this … this can't be right."

"What are you talking about?"

She began reading from the article dated several years prior. "The destruction of the Emperor's newest space station is believed to have been a result of an attack from the Rebel Alliance headed by Princess Leia Organa, among others, and carried out by Luke _Skywalker_."

"Why does that last name sound familiar?"

"Because I mentioned it when we first met. The Jedi that fell to the Dark Side and helped destroy the Order was Anakin Skywalker."

"So what's the problem?"

"One of the aspects of the Jedi Code, the rules Jedi were to follow you might say, forbid close attachments and having a family. To be carrying the same name means Anakin married at some point."

"Perhaps it was after he … stopped being a Jedi. Or maybe it's just a coincidence."

"There's a picture here of Luke and an estimate of his age. Besides the fact that I can see Anakin in his face and eyes his age puts him having been born right at the end of the Clone Wars." She couldn't pull her eyes away from the image on the screen. Though she'd been young there had been opportunities to see Master Skywalker around the Temple, even if it was just in passing, and he had certainly been on the Holonews enough during the War and there was no doubt in her mind that the young man she was now looking at was his son.

"Alright. So a former Jedi had a kid. Is there any information that will help us find this kid's people? Or a current Jedi?"

Alés didn't answer as she was focused on searching for any more information on Luke Skywalker. As the fight between the Rebellion and the Empire had heated up there was more and more mention of him until –

"_Jedi Knight_ Luke Skywalker?!"

"This guy was a Jedi after all? Is he still around?"

"The last mention in any article just says he is wanted by the Emperor and for the citizens not to worry as this remaining Jedi will be found and held accountable for all his crimes."

"So maybe this is the Jedi we need to find."

"Perhaps. I can't find anything else on him. All information into this system came to a halt when the Empire was overthrown. I suppose we could try searching somewhere in the city that would have current news but that would mean staying on the planet longer but I'm not comfortable with that right now. We can easily access the Holonews elsewhere in the Galaxy."

"What do you suggest we do now?" There seemed to be an edge to Din's voice.

"Head back towards the Outer Rim. I think it'll be easier to avoid anyone that's looking for us out there. We can try to locate Luke Skywalker along with any other Mandalorians that might have helpful information."

"So you're coming with me?" This time his words, spoken more softly than she'd heard from him before, had a tinge of surprise and relief in them.

She turned to face him as she rose from the computer. "Of course I'm coming with you … unless you would rather I remain here. I'm sure I could find a ride back home."

"No. I … I would like it if you stayed with me – us, stayed with us. You're rather handy to have around and I … the kid seems to like you." A little spark of hope ignited deep inside her as she took in his words – spoken and unspoken. "I wasn't sure if you would want to stay here on Coruscant since this used to be your home."

"That is very much in the past tense. My place is with you and the little one until we've delivered him safely or you tire of me."

"I doubt I would tire of you."

Alés couldn't keep the smirk off her lips. "Don't be so sure of that."

"And you're fine with this arrangement? Staying with us?"

"I gave you my word that I would help you find where the little one belongs."

"So it is merely a sense of obligation and duty that keeps you with us."

"No." When he didn't respond she sighed and ran a hand over her face. She hoped she wasn't about to ruin everything. "I do want to help the little one but even if we weren't looking for his people I would stay with you. I … I've grown to like you Din. I haven't trusted anyone except my Master since the Order fell but you have earned it."

That was as much as she would admit to him (or herself) at the moment but there was no denying she felt a growing attachment to this Mandalorian the longer they were together. In a way it frightened her but at the same time she hadn't felt as happy or as _alive _as she had since he'd shown up on her planet. She wouldn't let her mind go to anything beyond that at the moment, though, and she hoped what she had just said wouldn't ruin whatever it was they'd let grow between them. Alés had never wished to see his face as much as she did right then. Her cheeks warmed and a rather sick feeling formed in the pit of her stomach when he remained quiet. Unable to bare his silent scrutiny she turned to go but was stopped when he laid a hand on her arm. When she was once again facing him fully he cupped her face with both hands and leaned down to rest his helmeted forehead against hers. They remained in that position for a moment and while no words were spoken Alés felt like quite a bit had been said.

Straightening to his full height he scooped the little one up before taking her hand and she found comfort in the feel of the warn leather against her skin as they made their way back through what had once been her home. The Force had not revealed much to her in regards to their future or the little one's future but she could feel it hovering around them and she had to hope that meant it was pleased. They hadn't discovered much that would help in their quest but at least they had a name now and if they could find more of Din's Mandalorians then perhaps they could provide another piece in this increasingly complicated puzzle.


End file.
